Smoking Cigarettes, Marijuana, and the Transition to Marriage among Cohabiters in the USA

Abstract

Many studies have established that married people have lower rates of smoking than singles and cohabiters. However, there is still limited research showing whether this advantage also applies specifically to cohabiters before marriage. Hence, this study examines the association between cigarette and marijuana smoking and the transition to marriage among cohabiters in the USA. This study employs data from seventeen waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Discrete-time logistic regression models are used to test whether lower rates of cigarette and marijuana smoking among cohabiters are associated with the transition to marriage. Results indicate that lower levels of marijuana and cigarette smoking are associated with the transition to marriage among male and female cohabiters. Not smoking cigarettes and marijuana is associated with a significantly higher odds of transition to marriage for both sexes. The findings show that smoking status may play a significant role in the odds of getting married during cohabitation. Pro-marital policies can focus on addressing smoking habits among cohabiters.